Tools for shaping and fitting such as used by carpenters and wood sculptors are available in many forms. For the most part these tools can be classified in one of two ways, i.e., they are either rough working tools or finishing tools. Examples of rough working tools are the various power saws including circular saws, band saws, jig saws etc. Examples of finishing tools are wood chisels, wood planes, sanders, wood rasps and the like, most of which are hand driven tools but in some cases may also be powered.
The problem with finishing tools is that they are slow. They are designed to remove a small amount of material within a precise location. When, for example, it is desired to remove a quarter of an inch to an inch of wood, the user will be a long time in removing the material with a wood rasp or plane. A power saw, on the other hand, is not easily controlled when cutting away thicknesses of an inch or less and are generally considered unusuable in such circumstances.
Various tools designed primarily as either rough working or finishing tools have been modified in an attempt to make the semi-finishing work easier for the carpenter or sculptor. As an example, high speed belt sanders are available which can be mounted with course sand belts that will "eat" the wood material quickly. However, such sanders carve away fairly wide paths of the material which is not desirable in many cases. The belts quickly wear out and have to be replaced, and they generate large amounts of dust. Often this dust is messy, makes breathing difficult and makes the working surface difficult to see during the sanding operation.